Top Foods for Flawless Skin in 7 Days

From sun tan to black heads and pigmentation, summers can be stressful for your skin. Use of chemically packed creams and moisturizers can make things worse. Our grandmothers certainly hit the nail by concocting natural home remedies that have no side effects and are free from long term risks. Humble ingredients from your very kitchen can be the perfect solutions for your skincare woes.

Malvina Fraser, a celebrity skincare expert, has come up with such easy homemade tips and tricks that will leave you with a flawless skin. Follow the routine every day for a week - morning, evening and afternoon and you'll find yourself glowing from within!

Day 1

Morning: Use a warm wash cloth and press it over the face to open up your pores. Exfoliate, rinse and pat dry. Apply a primer to the skin to reduce the appearance of the pores.

Afternoon: Take a couple of minutes to do the 'cheek bone squeeze.' Gently pinch around your cheeks for a couple of minutes to increase blood flow and give a healthy glow.

Evening: Taking half a papaya and blend it. Apply the papaya on a clean face and leave it for 10 minutes. The enzyme action in the papaya hydrates the skin.

Papayas are great for your skin

Day 2

Morning:When cleansing your skin use an oscillating brush moving it in circular motions over the skin to increase blood flow. Alternatively use a simple body brush and move it around your body in circular motions.

Afternoon: During your lunch break relax the eyes for 15 minutes by popping on an eye mask. This will give them a much needed break. Relax with some soft music on your iPod for a couple of minutes of tranquillity.

Evening: Relax in the bath tonight by adding in some Epsom salts. Add one and a half cup into your bath to get your circulation flowing. Make sure you are well hydrated beforehand.

Relax in a bath with some Epsom salt

Day 3

Morning:The Cleopatra milk cleanser is a perfect remedy. Cleopatra was well known for relaxing in her milk baths. Cleanse the face with half milk and half water. Gently rinse off afterwards. The lactic acid in milk brightens the skin.

Afternoon: Mix together one teaspoon of honey and three teaspoons of olive oil in a bowl. This makes a great hand moisturizer. With the residue left on the hands lightly pat over the face.

Evening: Try this DIY (do-it-yourself) home exfoliate for a brighter complexion. Mix together two tablespoon of salt and the juice from half a lemon. Once the mixture is ready, rub it across the whole face in circular motions and rinse with warm water.

combination of olive oil and honey makes for a great hand moisturizer

Day 4

Morning:After showering, spray cold water onto your legs for a couple of seconds. If done every day, this is a great way of combating cellulite. If you do this a couple of times a week you will see a real difference.

Afternoon: Do the 'jawline pinch.' Gently pinch along the jawline and up around the jawline towards the hairline. Repeat four times. This will elasticize the skin and increase blood flow to the jowl.

Evening: Revive your skin with a home-made face mask. Mix half of a cucumber and one tablespoon of yogurt together. Apply onto skin for 15 minutes and rinse.

Homemade face masks are great quick fixes

Day 5

Morning:Whilst in the shower use a loofah to brush away the dead skin cells from the body. Always brush upwards towards the heart to get the blood flowing from one side to the other.

Afternoon: If you are at a computer all day your eyes may become very tired. During your lunchtime, place two slices of cucumber over the eyes and rest for 15 minutes. Cucumber contains a substance called beta carotene which acts as an anti-oxidant.

Evening: Cut open half a lemon and sprinkle a small amount of sugar on top. On clean skin rub the lemon straight onto the skin. This will tighten pores and acts as a toner.

Lemon and sugar work as toner for your face

Day 6

Morning:Mix together 2 tablespoons of honey, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and half a tablespoon of sugar. Apply mixture to your face. Leave for 10 minutes and rinse off. This pack helps to remove dead skin cells and brightens your complexion.

Afternoon: Place two tea bags into the fridge and let them cool down for a couple of minutes. Once cooled place them on your eyes and leave for five minutes. The caffeine can help shrink the blood vessels around the eyes and lessen dark circles.

Evening: At the end of the day remove your make-up with Vaseline. For a healthy glow, mix three tablespoons of orange juice and half a cup of warm honey into a bowl. Apply on face and leave for 30 minutes. Rinse with water.

Placing tea bags on your eyes can help reduce dark circles

Day 7

Morning:While making your morning coffee, pop your eye cream or moisturizer into the fridge. Once it is cool pop on under the eyes and leave for it 10 minutes.

Afternoon: Using your ringer finger gently tap towards the hairline along the eye bag. Repeat six times. This will stimulate the lymph glands.

Evening: Mix a teaspoon of baking soda to your cleanser and apply to the skin. Take off with a cotton pad. Baking soda acts as a great brightening tool for the skin.

Baking soda does wonders for your beauty regime

Are you up for the seven-day skincare challenge? Let's get going!